Agnes Robeson, a resident of Craigie in Ayr, found herself at the heart of a tumultuous period in Scottish history marked by the widespread fear of witchcraft. Born into a time when accusations of witchery could devastate lives, Agnes’s life took a drastic turn in the spring of 1658, when she was summoned to appear before the Ayr Court on April 6th. The records from the trial, listed under case number C/EGD/260, capture a moment frozen in time, highlighting the somber reality faced by those entangled in the witch trials of the era.
Her presence in the court that day was demanded via two lists known as porteous rolls, which effectively scheduled her along with others for trial. Notably, one of these rolls was dated March 31, 1658—merely days before the proceedings—indicating the urgency and gravity of the situation. As Agnes entered the courtroom, she joined a cohort of individuals facing similar accusations, summoned to answer charges in what was likely a tense and daunting atmosphere. The brief entry in the records suggests that Agnes was part of a larger wave of trials that characterized the mid-17th century in Scotland, a period marked by legal actions driven by fear, social tensions, and community upheaval.
Agnes’s experience as recorded in the annals of history reflects the broader context of the Scottish witch trials, illustrating how individuals could be swept up in an era dominated by suspicion and legal prosecutions. Though the surviving documents leave much unsaid about her personal story and the outcome of her trial, they nonetheless preserve her name among those caught in one of Scotland’s most challenging historical episodes.